Nurturing Your Family’s Health
Every year when cold and flu season approaches, I take stock of my natural medicine cabinet and see what needs to be added or replenished.
Herbal Remedies I Keep On Hand
I like to keep plenty of basic natural remedies on hand (things like echinacea, goldenseal, fresh garlic, cod liver oil, and vitamin C). But I also make sure we have available some more specific remedies, such as those for sore throats and coughs. There’s nothing worse than being awakened in the night with a sick child and finding you don’t have what you need!
Some of my favorite herbal remedies for children come from TriLight. We’ve been using their formulas for over ten years now, so we always feel safe and confident buying from them.
Making Your Own Herbal Remedies
In the past few years I’ve also been trying to make some of my own tinctures and other herbal medicines. I really enjoy learning about herbs (and growing them) and making my own formulas. It’s really easy when you buy a pre-packaged kit from The Bulk Herb Store. I’ve used a couple of theirs in the past.
I’ve had the first volume of Bulk Herb Store’s Making Herbs Simple for a long time (and love it). It’s a fun and informative video to watch and learn from. I just recently got Volume 2, and can’t wait to watch it.
Using Essential Oils for Health
I’ve been using essential oils for years, but I never truly knew how to get the maximum benefit from them. A friend from church, who was recently widowed, started selling doTERRA, and I signed up under her. I always look forward to her fun and informational home parties.
We buy essential oils from various places (not just doTERRA). Some come from Vitacost and we’re also hoping to try out the ones from Tropical Traditions. I’m not loyal to one particular brand.
That said, there are a few blends from doTERRA that I’ve become a bit dependent on, though. I like to keep these on hand:
- Breathe (respiratory blend)
- DigestZen (digestive blend)
- PastTense (this comes in a roller ball bottle, and cures headaches for me!)
- On Guard
- Deep Blue
I also regularly use the single oils, too:
- lemon
- peppermint
- lavender
- oregano
- melaleuca
Edited to add: I just discovered a new (to me) brand of essential oils that I’m really loving! It’s Rocky Mountain Oils, and they offer great quality, free shipping, and they also have comparable blends to some that Young Living and doTERRA offer. You can check out their blend comparison chart here.
 How do you prepare for the coming cold and flu season? Do you stock up on any particular products or herbs? Have you ever made your own herbal remedies?
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Great post! This year I have made lots of elderberry syrup, vinegar of four thieves, and several tinctures which include chamomile, get well soon, Echinacea, and a multi-vitamin tincture. I have also stocked up on organic apple cider vinegar, vitamin D3, vitamin c, and hope to get some fresh garlic soon. For the first time I'm making something called Fire Cider if I can find some fresh horseradish root and ginger root. Learning about herbal remedies and making tinctures is one of my most favorite things to do! 🙂 Here is a link to tons of natural treatments for cold, flu, and other illnesses. http://wellnessmama.com/1499/natural-remedies-for-illness/ and here is the link to the pepper juice (fire water) http://www.deeprootsathome.com/pepper-juice-preventative-cold-and-flu-remedy/.
Wow, Kristin, you've been busy! I've been wanting to try that Fire Cider recipe, too (I've been seeing it for years but haven't made it yet). We have so much in common–learning about herbal remedies is one of my favorite things, too! Thanks for inspiring me!